“You know, I’ve established a pretty good relationship with Dirk and I feel like I’m comfortable playing with him,” said Kaman. “That was one of the things that helped bring me here to Dallas. I’m looking forward to the opportunity to play with one of the greatest players in the NBA, as well as one of the best European players. I’m in a pretty comfortable position here.

I’m settled in and I feel comfortable with the coaches and everybody around me. We have a great staff here and I’m really happy to be here at this point. … Since 2008 I played with Dirk on the German national team even though I’m not very German. I think I have some ancestors somewhere down the line. I’ve been very comfortable during the offseason and the summer participating with him at the different events. I knew from conversations with him the kind of guy Mark was and Coach Carlisle that this would be a great place to play.”ds

Mavs owner Mark Cuban later joked that for the first time in years he didn’t cringe when he watched his team’s starting center shooting jumpers on the practice court. Kaman’s ability to do a number of things with the basketball will certainly make the Mavs harder to defend.e2121

“I’m not trying to replace Jason Kidd,” said Collison. “That’s tough to do. I thought he was a great player for this organization, but I just plan to be myself. I was brought here for a reason. Some of the things that I want to bring are an up-tempo style, energy, defense, and whatever I can do to help out these guys. I’m just excited to be here.”eq1`2

“I can’t tell you how much of a chip I have on my shoulder,” said Darren Collison, who was discarded first by New Orleans and then by Indiana despite playing well in both places. “I can’t wait to play, to play the first game, and I have a lot to prove to myself about who I am as a player. Me and O.J. were talking about that yesterday, about how much of a chip we do have on our shoulders. I just want to play. It’s nice talking to the fans and talking to the media, but I have a lot to prove right now.”434534

“I do feel like I have something to prove,” agrees Mayo, who was the subject of trade rumors and even a failed trade during his time with the Memphis Grizzlies. “It was a crazy four years in Memphis. I’ve been traded, then had the phone call that the trade didn’t go through and you have to come back to work. It was a reality check that this is a business, and as long as you take care of your game your game will take care of you. I just want to come here, have a breath of fresh air, compete with one of the greatest players that ever played, one of the greatest owners to own a team in one of the greatest sports towns in America. I’m here to give it my all and not fail.”ewq21

Adding this new mix of particularly motivated NBA veterans to a group that already consists of all-world power forward Dirk Nowitzki, the ultimate x-factor in Shawn Marion, the still capable Vince Carter, and a nice mix of young talent certainly creates an interesting team on paper. It was difficult, sitting at the press conference, looking at this group, hearing them talk, envisioning this new team, not to start to feel something special in the air.
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“One thing about it, you know we have the Lakers game one,” said Mayo. “We don’t need to do too much talking, but I think after that game, I believe Mavs fans will be excited and have big smiles on their faces, and that’s what it’s all about.”dzdsas

We HOOPSWORLD reported last week, free agent big man Andray Blatche and the Brooklyn Nets will team up for the 2012-13 NBA season, at least on a non-guaranteed basis. After being subject to the amnesty clause, Blatche is not looking for money as much as he’s looking for an opportunity to show that he does, indeed, belong in the NBA.adsadas

In seven seasons with the Wizards, Blatche averaged 9.9 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. He showed steady improvement over his first five years, ultimately averaging 16.8 points and 8.2 rebounds in his best season, 2010-11. There were some setbacks both on the court and in the locker room last season, when Blatche managed just 8.5 points and 5.8 rebounds and started just half of his games after being a fulltime starter the year before. Blatche told HOOPSWORLD it was just time for him to leave, that the situation in Washington had become so bad that a mutual agreement to part company was the only way to go.423423

The Nets would love to see Blatche come off the bench behind Brook Lopez and give them another strong presence in the paint on both ends of the floor. If he can do that, he could turn out to be one of the real steals in this summer’s free agency crop. Considering the Nets don’t have another true center under contract, this is a very real opportunity for Blatche to get his career back on track.fs323

The Toronto Raptors are in the ending stages of a long-term rebuilding project, which just might give the franchise an opportunity to break its current four-year playoff drought during the 2012-13 campaign. Armed with an assortment of former lottery picks on its roster, the Raptors have been watching the chemistry of its young core grow and develop while also looking at ways to bolster their talent by acquiring All-Star talent via free agency and trade.52525232